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Ghosts, Goblins, Murder, & Madness: Twenty Tales of Halloween
Featuring twenty-one different voices hailing from five different countries and eleven states, Ghosts, Goblins, Murder, and Madness is certain to strike a chord with every horror aficionado.
Devil’s Night, Day of the Dead, and Halloween have been celebrated around the world in one form or another, beginning with the Ancient Celts over two-thousand years ago. For some revelers, it’s a time for guising, or dressing up in elaborate costume; for others, it’s a time for practical jokes and mischief, and for some, it’s a reverent occasion to acknowledge the thin line between earth and the spirit world.
In this same vein, the stories in this collection provide a wide-angle lens at what comprises the unique expanse of horror fiction today. From hobgoblins and apparitions, to haunted dwellings and cursed possessions, to good intentions gone awry and evil ones turned on the perpetrator, these twenty tales will unsettle, frighten, tickle, and caution, and in the end, readers may take heed before ever again accompanying their children trick-or-treating, striking up conversations in anonymous chat rooms, or fortifying their homes in an attempt to prevent Halloween vandalism.
Featuring the following stories and authors: Asking for It (JR Pepper), Tenants (George Plank), Foul Treats (Jon Steffens), The Boatman’s Rhyme (Neil May), Gate Night (Nick Manzolillo), Dear Dead Jenny (Ian McDowell), Alone on Halloween (Michael Gore), Home (Lewis Crane), The Bathroom Mirror (Kenneth Stephenson), Small Bites (Rebecca Rowland), The Hermit of Singer’s Creek (J. Tonzelli), Three Spirits (Daniel Loubier), Not This Girl (Michel Sabourin), The Dark (Jacquelynn Gonzalez), Trapped (Alice La Roux), The Residents (Tyson Hanks), Clutch of Death (Danielle Bailey), bad.dreamer84 (Louis Stephenson), October Surprise (David Grove), Masks (David Garrote & Jean Cleaver).
Devil’s Night, Day of the Dead, and Halloween have been celebrated around the world in one form or another, beginning with the Ancient Celts over two-thousand years ago. For some revelers, it’s a time for guising, or dressing up in elaborate costume; for others, it’s a time for practical jokes and mischief, and for some, it’s a reverent occasion to acknowledge the thin line between earth and the spirit world.
In this same vein, the stories in this collection provide a wide-angle lens at what comprises the unique expanse of horror fiction today. From hobgoblins and apparitions, to haunted dwellings and cursed possessions, to good intentions gone awry and evil ones turned on the perpetrator, these twenty tales will unsettle, frighten, tickle, and caution, and in the end, readers may take heed before ever again accompanying their children trick-or-treating, striking up conversations in anonymous chat rooms, or fortifying their homes in an attempt to prevent Halloween vandalism.
Featuring the following stories and authors: Asking for It (JR Pepper), Tenants (George Plank), Foul Treats (Jon Steffens), The Boatman’s Rhyme (Neil May), Gate Night (Nick Manzolillo), Dear Dead Jenny (Ian McDowell), Alone on Halloween (Michael Gore), Home (Lewis Crane), The Bathroom Mirror (Kenneth Stephenson), Small Bites (Rebecca Rowland), The Hermit of Singer’s Creek (J. Tonzelli), Three Spirits (Daniel Loubier), Not This Girl (Michel Sabourin), The Dark (Jacquelynn Gonzalez), Trapped (Alice La Roux), The Residents (Tyson Hanks), Clutch of Death (Danielle Bailey), bad.dreamer84 (Louis Stephenson), October Surprise (David Grove), Masks (David Garrote & Jean Cleaver).
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2018
About the author
Rebecca Rowland
50 books292 followersRebecca Rowland is a Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author, a Bram Stoker Award-nominated editor, and the recipient of a Godless 666 Horror Fiction Award. She is an Active member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers, and having lived in Massachusetts for most of her life, she chooses to set most of her fiction there.
Despite earning graduate degrees in English, Education, and Information Science, she miraculously managed to pay off her student loans before retirement and/or death.
In her spare time, she pets her cats, eats cheese, and drinks vodka, though not necessarily in that order.
She is represented by Becky LeJeune of Bond Literary Agency.
Despite earning graduate degrees in English, Education, and Information Science, she miraculously managed to pay off her student loans before retirement and/or death.
In her spare time, she pets her cats, eats cheese, and drinks vodka, though not necessarily in that order.
She is represented by Becky LeJeune of Bond Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 20, 2018
Great book. All the stories are extremely well written.
September 18, 2018
There really is something for everyone in this collection (well, as long as they enjoy creepy, scary and sometimes downright gory stories). If you’re a fan of Creepshow, that 1980s classic, you’ll like “Tenants.” If you’re a horror movie buff in general, you’ll appreciate the fun references in “Masks.” If you’re familiar with Michael Gore’s short stories, you’ll like his callback to a previous tale in “Alone on Halloween.” If retirement homes give you the willies, you’ll feel vindicated after “The Residents.” If you’re a feminist, or just a woman grown weary of the patriarchy, you’ll cheer on “Asking for It.” And if you ever thought it was sinisterly ironic that a family hamburger joint’s mascot was named Grimace, you’ll savor “Small Bites.” This is definitely not a book for the kiddos: PG-13 and above, for certain. But man, is it fun.
January 6, 2021
I meant to read this Halloween-themed horror anthology when it actually was Halloween, but things got in the way. I'm very happy to have read it now, though! There are twenty short stories in "Ghosts, Goblins, Murder, & Madness", and I enjoyed them all.
The authors interpret the theme in vastly different ways - as it turns out, Halloween can mean a lot of things. Some stories were humorous, others very grim and disturbing. My favorites were "Tenants" by George Plank, "Small Bites" by Rebecca Rowland, and "The Hermit of Singer's Creek" by J. Tonzelli.
The authors interpret the theme in vastly different ways - as it turns out, Halloween can mean a lot of things. Some stories were humorous, others very grim and disturbing. My favorites were "Tenants" by George Plank, "Small Bites" by Rebecca Rowland, and "The Hermit of Singer's Creek" by J. Tonzelli.
November 8, 2018
Perfect for the lead-up to Halloween, or any time of year if you keep All Hallow's Eve in your heart. The book contained a nice mix of stories featuring a variety of otherworldly creatures. All of them had an original take and not every story guarantees a happy ending -- which is usually the case with some of the best horror stories.
October 12, 2018
Pleasantly frightening
A great collection of short stories that play with your mind. The book left me a little afraid of being alone in the dark or with anyone else for that matter. I liked not knowing what was going to happen.
A great collection of short stories that play with your mind. The book left me a little afraid of being alone in the dark or with anyone else for that matter. I liked not knowing what was going to happen.
October 23, 2018
A perfect anthology for the Halloween season, but definitely not for the faint of heart. A variety of selections await the reader; from the amusing, to the downright bizarre and horrifying. A worthy collection to be sure.
October 5, 2022
I've had Ghost, Goblins, Murder, & Madness on my to-read list for years. The short story anthology features twenty-one horror writers offering up stories about Halloween. The tales encompass the spirit of the scariest holiday of the year.
"Asking for It" by JR Pepper
A woman in a bar gets approached by a man on Halloween, thinking she's asking for it. I loved the feminist critique, playfulness, and gruesome twist. 5/5
"Tenants" by George Plank
A tenant moves into a studio apartment infested by cockroaches. Although it was a horrific concept, I felt the story dragged and despite the ending, it lacked Halloween. 3/5
"Foul Treats" by Jon Steffens
A father takes his four-year-old son trick-or-treating only to end their night at a strange house. While I love classic trick-or-treating stories, this one didn't feel as cohesive or complete. 2/5
"The Boatman's Rhyme" by Neil May
A school bully tries to get his Halloween revenge on his teacher. I liked the twist, but having the bully as the protagonist and not developing enough nuance with his character dragged down the story. 2/5
"Gate Night" by Nick Manzolillo
A farmer tries to catch the vandals who are stealing cattle on Halloween, only to discover the trespassers aren't human. I liked the atmosphere and concept, though the characterization felt a bit unclear. 3/5
"Dear Dead Jenny" by Ian McDowell
A boy recalls the night he lost his girlfriend and best friend on Halloween. I love classic ghost stories about grief. The writing was beautiful and emotionally evocative. 5/5
"Alone on Halloween" by Michael Gore
A teen haunted by last year's Halloween tragedy finds a local haunted house. Despite the intrigue, I had trouble suspending disbelief with the protagonist's seemingly involuntary self-harm and the ending with the haunted house people. 2/5
"Home" by Lewis Crane
According to Crane's bio, he's a first time author and unfortunately the writing quality shows with too much telling, purple prose, and cardboard characterization. I can't believe the editor allowed this into the anthology. 0/5
"The Bathroom Mirror" by Kenneth Stephenson
A tech worker takes up a new job in San Francisco and while moving into temporary housing finds a creepy mirror in the bathroom. This started out strong, but felt underdeveloped in its execution. 3/5
"Small Bites" by Rebecca Rowland
A girl's uncle gifts and her sister a Hamburglar doll with an appetite for flesh. I liked the original concept and twist at the end, though I'm not sure what to make of the choice of the Hamburglar character in terms of creepiness. 3/5
"The Hermit of Singer's Creek" by J. Tonzelli
A man recalls his brother's Halloween stories of an ageless hermit. I've read Tonzelli's fun Halloween collection The End of Summer and this story has that similar cozy and creepy feel. 4/5
"Three Spirits" by Daniel Loubier
A grieving widower is visited by three spirits on Halloween. The obvious Scrooge concept was a great idea. Despite the humor and atmosphere, , it read more like an early draft with flat characters. 2/5
"Not This Girl" by Michel Sabourin
A girl runs from a killer on Halloween night. I liked the simple concept and Sabourin knows how to write suspense and horror. The only piece that would've elevated the story was if our protagonist and killer had backstories. 3/5
"The Dark" by Jacquelynn Gonzalez
The narrator recounts their fear of the dark. For a first-time author, the writing was solid, though the concept felt a bit disjointed and I wished it was more focused on the fear of the dark rather than general paranoia. 3/5
"Trapped" by Alice La Roux
A woman buried alive tries to remember the strange man she met at a Halloween party. I liked the concept and the twist. It read like a classic, horror short story with a creepy snap ending. 4/5
"The Residents" by Tyson Hanks
A boy visits his grandfather in a nursing home where the residents aren't who they seem. I enjoyed the unpredictability and the setting which I haven't seen before in a Halloween story. 4/5
"Clutch of Death" by Danielle Bailey
A woman tries to escape captivity from a sadistic cop. This was the most brutal and gruesome story in the collection. While Halloween is only a background detail, it was a gripping read. 4/5
"bad.dreamer84" by Louis Stephenson
Someone on an online forum posts about recurring nightmares of a murderer. I loved the email and text format and how it let the reader read between the lines. 5/5
"October Surprise" by David Grove
A supernatural force urges kids to kill on Halloween. There are a lot of great ideas in this story and it starts out strong, but it meanders and doesn't quite come together. I wished this went through a few more rounds of editing. 2/5
"Masks" by David Gorrote & Jean Cleaver
Two horror fans meet on an online chatroom and eventually decide to meet in person on Halloween. I liked the concept and the conversations between the two protagonists. I also enjoyed parts of Halloween lore woven into the story. My only critique was trying to suspend disbelief at the ending. 4/5
As with any anthology, Ghosts, Goblins, Murder, & Madness is full of hits and misses. Unfortunately, less than half of the stories were better than average while the rest were either forgettable or awful. Overall, if you check out this book, skip to the better stories and avoid the others.
3.2 stars
"Asking for It" by JR Pepper
A woman in a bar gets approached by a man on Halloween, thinking she's asking for it. I loved the feminist critique, playfulness, and gruesome twist. 5/5
"Tenants" by George Plank
A tenant moves into a studio apartment infested by cockroaches. Although it was a horrific concept, I felt the story dragged and despite the ending, it lacked Halloween. 3/5
"Foul Treats" by Jon Steffens
A father takes his four-year-old son trick-or-treating only to end their night at a strange house. While I love classic trick-or-treating stories, this one didn't feel as cohesive or complete. 2/5
"The Boatman's Rhyme" by Neil May
A school bully tries to get his Halloween revenge on his teacher. I liked the twist, but having the bully as the protagonist and not developing enough nuance with his character dragged down the story. 2/5
"Gate Night" by Nick Manzolillo
A farmer tries to catch the vandals who are stealing cattle on Halloween, only to discover the trespassers aren't human. I liked the atmosphere and concept, though the characterization felt a bit unclear. 3/5
"Dear Dead Jenny" by Ian McDowell
A boy recalls the night he lost his girlfriend and best friend on Halloween. I love classic ghost stories about grief. The writing was beautiful and emotionally evocative. 5/5
"Alone on Halloween" by Michael Gore
A teen haunted by last year's Halloween tragedy finds a local haunted house. Despite the intrigue, I had trouble suspending disbelief with the protagonist's seemingly involuntary self-harm and the ending with the haunted house people. 2/5
"Home" by Lewis Crane
According to Crane's bio, he's a first time author and unfortunately the writing quality shows with too much telling, purple prose, and cardboard characterization. I can't believe the editor allowed this into the anthology. 0/5
"The Bathroom Mirror" by Kenneth Stephenson
A tech worker takes up a new job in San Francisco and while moving into temporary housing finds a creepy mirror in the bathroom. This started out strong, but felt underdeveloped in its execution. 3/5
"Small Bites" by Rebecca Rowland
A girl's uncle gifts and her sister a Hamburglar doll with an appetite for flesh. I liked the original concept and twist at the end, though I'm not sure what to make of the choice of the Hamburglar character in terms of creepiness. 3/5
"The Hermit of Singer's Creek" by J. Tonzelli
A man recalls his brother's Halloween stories of an ageless hermit. I've read Tonzelli's fun Halloween collection The End of Summer and this story has that similar cozy and creepy feel. 4/5
"Three Spirits" by Daniel Loubier
A grieving widower is visited by three spirits on Halloween. The obvious Scrooge concept was a great idea. Despite the humor and atmosphere, , it read more like an early draft with flat characters. 2/5
"Not This Girl" by Michel Sabourin
A girl runs from a killer on Halloween night. I liked the simple concept and Sabourin knows how to write suspense and horror. The only piece that would've elevated the story was if our protagonist and killer had backstories. 3/5
"The Dark" by Jacquelynn Gonzalez
The narrator recounts their fear of the dark. For a first-time author, the writing was solid, though the concept felt a bit disjointed and I wished it was more focused on the fear of the dark rather than general paranoia. 3/5
"Trapped" by Alice La Roux
A woman buried alive tries to remember the strange man she met at a Halloween party. I liked the concept and the twist. It read like a classic, horror short story with a creepy snap ending. 4/5
"The Residents" by Tyson Hanks
A boy visits his grandfather in a nursing home where the residents aren't who they seem. I enjoyed the unpredictability and the setting which I haven't seen before in a Halloween story. 4/5
"Clutch of Death" by Danielle Bailey
A woman tries to escape captivity from a sadistic cop. This was the most brutal and gruesome story in the collection. While Halloween is only a background detail, it was a gripping read. 4/5
"bad.dreamer84" by Louis Stephenson
Someone on an online forum posts about recurring nightmares of a murderer. I loved the email and text format and how it let the reader read between the lines. 5/5
"October Surprise" by David Grove
A supernatural force urges kids to kill on Halloween. There are a lot of great ideas in this story and it starts out strong, but it meanders and doesn't quite come together. I wished this went through a few more rounds of editing. 2/5
"Masks" by David Gorrote & Jean Cleaver
Two horror fans meet on an online chatroom and eventually decide to meet in person on Halloween. I liked the concept and the conversations between the two protagonists. I also enjoyed parts of Halloween lore woven into the story. My only critique was trying to suspend disbelief at the ending. 4/5
As with any anthology, Ghosts, Goblins, Murder, & Madness is full of hits and misses. Unfortunately, less than half of the stories were better than average while the rest were either forgettable or awful. Overall, if you check out this book, skip to the better stories and avoid the others.
3.2 stars
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews